THE PLAY ISSUE Hunger Games BY CARON STREIBICH // PHOTO BY BOB SELF 24 J MAGAZINE | SUMMER <strong>2019</strong>
From Bellwether to Cowford Chophouse to The Happy Grilled Cheese, eclectic restaurant options are vital to Downtown’s livelihood Great downtowns are a smorgasbord for the senses. They glisten and grind and waft vibrations of coolness day and night. They exude vibrant diversity and kitschy, artsy, organic realism without even trying. And without a doubt, they smell like things are cooking, whether from a late-night pizza stand, a taco bus, or a Michelin-starred eatery. On that last point, I have a grievance with you, Downtown Jacksonville. I’ve given you nearly five years of my work life, and I’ve even had a few novel bites along the way to and from the office. But through it all, I can’t help but feel the burners are off in our urban core. How can we make it a true culinary destination? Just as winning sports teams and performance venues are magnets for human activity, restaurants have much the same effect. Having an abundant mix of reputable eateries — fast-casual, sit-down, upscale, ethnic, healthy — is vital to keeping people interested in working Downtown, living Downtown, moving hordes of their employees Downtown, and telling others how much they love Downtown. Great urban cores boast slurp-worthy ramen, Indian buffets, doughnuts and sashimi, Barcelona-grade tapas, artery-aggravating soul food, pre-concert fuel and late-night not-ready-to-gohome greasy fries, food halls, old-school ice cream shops, and sandwich masterpieces from smarmy service stations. On one hand, I feel it’s all within reach here in Cowford. But the ones that have it press up against our urban core, harass it, lean in suggestively and whisper, “Don’t you want a taste?” In Brooklyn, I visit fast-casual trifecta Vale Food Co., BurgerFi and Zoe’s Kitchen, and occasionally, “daytime café” First Watch or Burrito Gallery’s rooftop. But just try to walk there from the core and you’ll easily blow up your lunch hour and a good pair of shoes. Same goes with Southbank treats bb’s, The Bearded Pig, Clara’s Tidbits, Sake House, The Southern Grill, The Wine Cellar, Ruth’s Chris, The Charthouse or River City Brewing Company. Extra points to the latter three for touting riverfront views — though dated interiors — and The Bearded Pig for its enclosed kids’ area. I’ve enjoyed bb’s for years, but it’s not pedestrian-friendly from the Northbank. Activity, density, connectivity So why are these gems just out of Downtown’s reach? The simple fact is that restaurants are but a single piece of what makes urban districts thrive. To fully understand the dearth of culinary options north of the St. Johns, I chalk it up to three of Downtown’s chronic syndromes: lack of activity, density and connectivity. First, the activity. In most of Downtown after 5 p.m. and on weekends, street-level activity sputters to a dim hum. Nightlife is limited. Events are sporadic, but not consistent. Sports events to the core’s east hardly register due to the chasm that is our jail and police department, not to mention the hulking skeleton of a condominium that creates a virtual east-west checkpoint. A popular restaurant (or restaurants) theoretically should drive traffic to an area. Ongoing programming — daily and nightly, not just weekly or monthly — should drive traffic, too. Marry the two in regular ceremonies, and the guests will soon follow. Then throw in a bodega or standard grocery to appeal to would-be residents. Anthony Hashem, owner of fast-casual eatery The Happy Grilled Cheese on Hogan Street, echoes this sentiment. “The gorgeous apartments going in one block from us on Adams Street [Continued on page 90] « Giovanni Roman, front of house director at Cowford Chophouse, inspects glassware on the table settings before customers arrive. SUMMER <strong>2019</strong> | J MAGAZINE 25
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